It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of dark literature. Authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson and Stephen King have had a profound affect on me, and at times have kept me up late into the night. Their books will always have a place on my shelf. I don’t seek out disturbing stories to read, but those are the ones that seem to catch my attention at the book store. Call me morbid, I guess! And when I decided to attempt writing stories of my own, suspense and sinister is what I found myself typing.

So when I heard about #PitDark I was instantly intrigued. #PitDark is the first and only Twitter pitch event that is specifically designed for authors of darker literature. According to its description, #PitDark is not limited to works of horror, but the pitched stories must contain elements of darker writing.

Following in the footsteps of #PitMad, a writer can tweet a 140 character pitch for their completed, polished and unpublished manuscripts, while agents and publishers search for stories that sound appealing. Middle grade, young adult, new adult and adult age categories are all welcome. And mark your calendars because the next #PitDark happens October 20th, 2016!

The rules:

This event takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Please do not pitch before or after this twelve-hour period.

Participants get one pitch per hour, per manuscript.

This contest is for completed, unpublished manuscripts. Complete means that your manuscript is proofread, polished, and ready for submission.

Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT favorite another author’s post. Agents and publishers will will make requests for authors to contact them by marking pitches as a favorite on Twitter. If your tweet is favorited, please follow the agent or publisher’s submission guidelines. Please be sure to research any agent or publisher that likes your pitch. There is no obligation to submit your work to anyone you don’t want to.

How to pitch:

First and foremost, you must include the #PitDark hashtag to enter the contest. This is mandatory.It’s how industry professionals will find you.

An indication of the book’s age category.

An indication of the book’s genre. See below for hashtags. A genre hashtag is also mandatory.

A pitch for your book. Ideally, it should tell us the character, desire, obstacle(s), and stakes. I know, I know — you don’t have many characters left to work with. Be creative!

Hashtags for age categories:

Please use these hashtags to indicate the target age group for your book:

#MG – Middle Grade

#YA – Young adult

#NA – New adult

#A – Adult

Hashtags for genres:

Please use a hashtag to indicate the genre of your book. The following are example hashtags that may be relevant to your manuscript:

#H – horror

#PH – psychological horror

#GH – gothic horror

#CSH – cosmic horror

#BH – body horror

#CH – comedy horror

#DC – dark comedy

#DR – dark romance

#SFH – science fiction horror

#PNH – paranormal horror

#ZH – zombie horror

#MH – monster horror

#GRH – graphic horror

#MM – murder mystery

#FA – fantasy

#DF – dark fantasy

#T – thriller

#EF – epic or high fantasy

#HF – historical fantasy

#LF – literary fantasy

#AH – alternate history

#PN – paranormal

#PR – paranormal romance

#UF – urban fantasy

#MR – magical realism

#SF – science fiction

#AF – apocalypse fiction

#ML – military science fiction

#PA – post-apocalyptic SF

#CP – cyberpunk

#SFT – sci-fi thriller

#SH – superhero / superhuman

#SO – space opera

#DS – dystopian

#SP – steampunk

#TT – time travel

#WW – weird west

#SPEC – speculative fiction

#NF – non-fiction

For more details on this event and to find out which agents and publishers are planning to participate, please visit author and #PitDark host Jason Huebinger’s website to learn more!

Do you plan to pitch? Leave a comment below if you do. Best of luck and I hope to see you there!

So you’ve written a story and you’ve posted it in full to Wattpad but you’re just not getting the reads you expected. You’ve done everything within your power to generate interest: you’ve written a story you’re proud of, you’ve mingled in the clubs, you’ve read and commented consistently on other authors’ stories, you’ve joined a gazillion book discussions and still … nothing! What’s a writer got to do to find some readers?!

I’m going to tell you. You can put in a request to have your story added to the Featured List.

What’s the Featured List, you might be asking yourself? According to Wattpad, every story that is featured is carefully hand-picked by Wattpad’s own Community Engagement team to be placed in a special, more visible spot that makes it easier for readers to find (because sifting through millions upon millions of stories to find what you’re looking for can be very overwhelming!).

That being said, not every submission is going to be granted. Serious thought goes into selecting each story. Why? Because being on the Featured List is both a privilege AND a responsibility. The Featured List will potentially put you and your story in front of millions of eager readers ready to vote and comment on each one of your chapters and expect you to comment back. Wattpad is an extremely interactive experience, one that encourages communication between an author and a reader. So if you’re not up for the challenge, don’t even think about submitting that story. Wattpad is more than just a reading and writing website. It’s a positive and supportive community all coming together to engage in something they love.

Still interested? Then let’s move on to the rules. Yes … the rules!

What Wattpad is looking for:

Stories that have good grammar, spelling, plot development, characterization, a distinct tone of voice, etc. So give that story one more edit before you apply!

Stories that are full-length and complete (or nearing completion).

Stories with a clear and compelling cover (sized 512×800), story description, and relevant tags.

Stories that will appeal to the diverse readership of the Wattpad community.

Stories that are distinctive and unique in plot and style.

What they’re not looking for:

Excerpts, teasers, sample chapters, or works intending to remain incomplete. Sorry, but it’s gotta be completed or near completion.

Stories that cannot standalone (i.e., sequels).

Emailing us PDFs, ePubs, or Word documents containing your story. Stories must be posted on Wattpad.

Unedited works. First drafts are absolutely fine, but stories should have a level of polish to them.

Who Wattpad is looking for:

Wattpadders like you! (Don’t have an account? Don’t worry, it’s easy to get started. Just sign up HERE for FREE and get posting!)

Engaged Wattpadders (This means writers who are also readers, commenters and voters. Writers who support other writers are the best writers, because they help each other succeed. Writers who want to be an active part of the community. No one likes a writer who posts a story and then never comes back to thank their readers.)

Kind and considerate Wattpadders (Trolls may stay under the bridge where they belong.)

What to expect if your story is featured:

If you’ve been selected for featuring, Wattpad will contact you to let you know the official day your story will be added to the List. Your story will then be placed at the top of the list for around one week or so, and afterward will be mixed in at random among the other stories to give everyone an equal chance at getting the limelight. You can expect an increase in reads, votes and comments, although Wattpad makes no guarantees about the number of reads your story will get.

After your week at the top of the list, your story will begin to randomize among the other stories in your genre and will change position daily. You could go from the top to the bottom and then back to the top again!

Wattpad receives several feature requests, so submissions could take up to four weeks or more to be reviewed. Just be patient, they’ll get to you!

So are you ready to take the next step in your writing career? Then apply to be featured today! Click HERE to fill out a request, and best of luck to you all!

I know you’ve been waiting for it, haven’t you? It’s okay to admit, you’re among friends.

Welcome to Wattpad’s annual Watty Awards — the world’s largest online writing contest! Are you ready for another round of celebrating reader favorites, up-and-coming writers and loads of new categories? I know I am!

It’s free to enter the Wattys, all you have to do is add the #Wattys2016 tag to your story, and the best part is you can enter as many stories as you’d like!

Here’s a list of awards for 2016:

Visual Storytelling:

A picture is worth a thousand words and this award recognizes stories told using in-line media, such as a graphic novel, magazine, recipe book, look book or any other type of story with in-line media. Nominate your story by tagging it #VisualStory and #Wattys2016!

Trailblazers:

Is your story something completely different? Are you pushing the limits or breaking new ground? If so, tag your story #Trailblazers and #Wattys2016!

Writer’s Debut:

Are you brand new to Wattpad and ready to be discovered? To be eligible to win the Writer’s Debut Award, you must have written your first story in 2016. All you have to do is tag your story #Wattys2016!

Hidden Gems:

Have you written a great story but think it lacks the reads and votes to be noticed? Think again! Wattpad readers love hidden gems, and if that describes you then make sure to tag your story #Wattys2016!

Voracious Reads:

This award celebrates those stories readers simply could’t put down! Have you written something that’s gone viral? Just tag it #Wattys2016 and Wattpad will let you know!

Talk of the Town:

Have you written a story that’s gotten readers talking? Don’t forget to tag it #Wattys2016!

Collector’s Edition:

Wattpadders love to add favorite stories to their libraries so they can go back and read them again and again. This category rewards the most added stories of the year. Do you have one of those? Tag it #Wattys2016!

New Voices:

The Wattys are all about finding new talent and promoting undiscovered writers. All new writers are welcome to enter! Tag your story #Wattys2016!

HQ Love:

The HQ Love award recognizes the stories that are most liked by Wattpad staff. Did your story grab their attention? Add the tag #Wattys2016 to find out!

People’s Choice:

This goes to the stories that have collected the most Wattpadder tweets, votes and hearts. If you’ve always wanted to have a say in which story claims a Watty, this is your chance to make that happen! Vote for your favorite story on Twitter on August 1. Sample tweet: I nominate “Story Title” #MyWattysChoice!

International Wattys:

This year, Wattpad is introducing awards for the best stories written in different languages. Head on over to the international profile for your country to learn how to enter.

Rules and Regulations:

The Wattys are open to stories of all categories and ratings, even mature.

Your story must be fully available on Wattpad (excerpts are not allowed).

Your submitted story must be your own intellectual property.

You can enter from anywhere in the world.

Your story must have been written in 2016, or updated with a minimum of three chapters in 2016.

Deadline to enter is August 31st, 2016.

Timelines:

Submissions Start: Mid-June 2016

Deadline to enter: August 31st, 2016

Winners Announced: Fall 2016

Prizes:

Winning stories will be promoted on the Wattys profile, and other official channels, which may be and are not limited to Wattpad’s official social media pages, newsletters, and other communications.

Have more questions? Wattpad has the answers, just click HERE to learn more!

Haven’t written a story yet? It’s not too late! All you have to have is three chapters posted this year. So what are you waiting for? Get writing!

The only question I have left is: What are YOU going to submit? Head on over to Wattpad NOW to enter!

Last year I put together a list of descriptive words for food. This year I thought a descriptive list for hair might help you when starting to describe your characters. I included colors, and words of items that adorn the hair. There must be more words, so let’s work together on this. Please leave new words to add in the comment’s section. Thanks!

This summer’s fiesta takes place the entire month of August so mark your calendars now — you heard right, the ENTIRE month of August — and will feature some of Wattpad’s most active writers. USA TODAY Bestsellers, Wattpad Stars and a whole bunch of up-and-comers! It’s gonna be awesome sauce (did I seriously just say that?!)! Did I mention there will be TONS of giveaways? I’m thinking I’ll write another bonus chapter for STRAWBERRY WINE from yummy Jake Grady’s point-of-view, what do you think? I just love getting inside that sexy cowboy’s head!

In other news, I took part in my very first LIVE Ask Me Anything and received tons of great questions from readers and friends like YOU! Did you miss it? Don’t fret! It’s all right HERE for your viewing pleasure (please ignore the unflattering still shots and overuse of the word ‘um’)!

Who wants a cover reveal? I do! I do! I’m waiting patiently for the go-ahead to share the brand new, unbelievably adorable cover of STRAWBERRY WINE! Kensington Publishing tells me it will be soon, along with the PRE-ORDER SALE! What? Did she just say PRE-ORDER SALE?! I sure as heck did. Can you believe it? It’s happening. It’s actually happening! I’m still pinching myself. Huh, that must be why this unsightly bruise won’t go away.

Let’s see … what else? Oh, yes! I’m working on more stories to add to Wattpad! I’m pretty sure the next one up will be my horror/psychological thriller/like THE SECRET on crack called DOWN CAME THE RAIN! Take a look at this cover:

Don’t forget to sign up for my email list for your chance to win FREE STUFF! And if you would kindly ‘like’ my Facebook author’s page I would ever so grateful!

There’s still time to enter the Hopelessly Imperfect giveaway! Keep reading to find out how!

It’s here!

Hopelessly Imperfect releases on May 17th! I can’t believe it. I’m really excited about it and to share that excitement with you all, I’m giving away five ebook copies of my book.

Hopelessly Imperfect

Cancer is a beast.

It’s ugly, savage, and has no mercy.

Cassie learned this all too well while watching her mother slowly deteriorate, one agonizing day at a time…

With the desire to make her mother’s last year the best it can be, she works to be the perfect daughter. Every character trait, witty joke, like and dislike—Cassie molds herself to be what her mother would love most.

But in the end, it still isn’t enough…

After years of pretending, Cassie has no idea who she really is. When her mother slips away, Cassie falls into a deep depression, and thoughts of suicide become her most pressing threat. After a failed attempt, she seeks…

This week I’m excited to introduce a Watty Award-winning author who has found a massive following on Wattpad, an online writing and reading community. She’s an extremely talented writer and is also one of the nicest people I’ve had the privilege to meet! Her first storyThe Cell Phone Swap took the writing platform by storm and is all set to be published next year under the new title Textrovert!

Lindsey Summers, otherwise known as DoNotMicrowave on Wattpad, currently has more than 187,000 followers and The Cell Phone Swap has nearly 77 million reads! Her current work in progress is a romance called Bottled Promisesand is already well on its way to be her next big hit.

Bottled Promises story blurb:

His future is shackled by the past.

Her past is driving her future.

Growing up, Cameron Scott longed to break free from her controlling childhood. Now a freshman at Alden University, she’s finally able to live life on her terms…or so she thinks. Forced to take the only room left on campus, one in the substance free program, Cameron signs a contract promising not to drink, party or do anything illegal.

The only positive is Alaric St. James, a boy whose disdain for the program rivals her own. But unlike Cameron, Alaric isn’t there by chance. A judge has ruled Alaric must participate and stay out of trouble. As the two develop feelings, they grow conflicted. Both have made promises, but as Cameron soon discovers, sometimes you break promises, and sometimes they break you.

About the author:

Lindsey Summers (@DoNotMicrowave) joined Wattpad in 2012. Her story, The Cell Phone Swap, is one of most-read stories on Wattpad. Inspired by a chance encounter, Lindsey’s story has gone viral. Through Wattpad, she has also written commissioned stories for major brands like Mondelez and 20th Century Fox.

Lindsey credits the positivity and support of her fan base as her motivation. Her fans insistence on updates for her serialized story kept her on track and fueled her creative streak.

When not on Wattpad, Lindsey can usually be found on the beach, reading on the sand, and always in open-toed shoes.

Posts navigation

Life has been a bit crazy since my story Strawberry Wine won the grand prize, and I've been hard at work revising my debut novel. It's available now for preorder and will be in book stores everywhere January 31st, 2017. I hope you will join me for this exciting journey!